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The soap molecules have an end that likes water and hates grease and an end that loves grease and hates water. Given this structure the soap can form a layer attached to grease and water to carry off greasy dirt when you wash. Water alone would not remove the grease.

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12y ago
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12y ago

Water is good for cleaning things but when you use soap it has the chemicals to clean it up better leaving you with endless and flawless results.

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14y ago

It breaks down the surface tension which improves the property of water as a solvent

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11y ago

The soap is dissolved in water (but not totally); the pH of the solution is increased.

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11y ago

Oil and fat will not dissolve in ordinary water, but they will dissolve in soapy water.

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7y ago

Soaps act as surfactants, which weaken the surface tension in water that can cause it to glide over small particles. Soaps can also attract substances that normally repel water.

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7y ago

Soaps and other cleaning productsare more complex products and involve chemical reactions to remove dirt and greases.

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13y ago

nothing. the soup molicules spread out

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Q: When you add soap to water what happens to the waters molecules?
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Why soap absorb water?

Soaps are complex combinations of molecules. On the surface of the soap there are many holes and spaces between the molecules that the water can enter. There the water molecules come in and probably penetrate many layers deep into the soap, and stay there. Thus the soap expands and becomes bigger. This happens most in pure water and then less in liquids which not like water. The reason for the difference is that inside the soap there are both "hydrophilic" (water liking) and "hydrophobic" (water hating) portions of the molecules. But importantly, the hydrophilic portions are on the outside of the molecules so water can get close to the molecules. So the more like water the liquid is, the more the water can get close to the molecules and stay with them (be absorbed into the soap). When the water has other particles dissolved in it, like iced tea, Sprite or salt water, the water molecules can't get as close to the hydrophilic portions. And of course the oil molecules are repelled by the hydrophilic portions of the soap. So the answer of why soap absorbs the water is that the water molecules penetrate the soap and stay with the hydrophilic portions of the soap molecules. This happens more when the liquid is more like water.


How does soap mix with octane?

When soap is mixed with octane the non-polar ends of the soap molecules are attracted with induced-dipole induced-dipole attractions to the non-polar octane molecules. The octane molecules repel the polar ends of the soap and the soap molecules form inverted soap bubbles that attract polar molecules like water.


Why cant water get grease out but soap can?

The molecules of a soap can surround oil molecules and bind to them, releasing their hold on materials and surfaces. The slippery soap does not attach to other molecules, and can be washed away.Grease itself is oil bound to a complex soap, that does not let it easily flow away from the lubricated surface.


How does adding soap to water affect adhesion?

Soap is a non-polar molecule that breaks weak hydrogen bonds between water molecules, so it makes the water less cohesive.


What happens to the soap after allowing the water to hit it's surface?

it bubbles

Related questions

Why soap absorb water?

Soaps are complex combinations of molecules. On the surface of the soap there are many holes and spaces between the molecules that the water can enter. There the water molecules come in and probably penetrate many layers deep into the soap, and stay there. Thus the soap expands and becomes bigger. This happens most in pure water and then less in liquids which not like water. The reason for the difference is that inside the soap there are both "hydrophilic" (water liking) and "hydrophobic" (water hating) portions of the molecules. But importantly, the hydrophilic portions are on the outside of the molecules so water can get close to the molecules. So the more like water the liquid is, the more the water can get close to the molecules and stay with them (be absorbed into the soap). When the water has other particles dissolved in it, like iced tea, Sprite or salt water, the water molecules can't get as close to the hydrophilic portions. And of course the oil molecules are repelled by the hydrophilic portions of the soap. So the answer of why soap absorbs the water is that the water molecules penetrate the soap and stay with the hydrophilic portions of the soap molecules. This happens more when the liquid is more like water.


How does soap affect oil?

Soap helps break up oil. This happens because the soap particles surround the oil molecules and help them dissolve in water.


Is foaming soap effective?

The foam caused by the soap is not that affective in breaking up the fat molecules, but the soap which breaks the water tension. Water molecules have a habit of falling in upon themselves. The soap loosens up the water to make it softer.


Why does shampoo bubble up?

If you mix water, soap, and air, the soap molecules line up side-by-side to make a layer. One side of this layer has the oily, air-liking ends sticking out and the other side is covered with the water-liking ends. The water molecules stick to the water side and the air to the other side. If you have a lot of air and a little water, which is what happens if you blow a lot of air into a soap-water mixture, then you wind up with a sandwich of three layers: Soap with the oily ends facing the air on either side and water in between. This is just the wall of a soap bubble. So the reason soap, water and air makes bubbles is because air and water molecules don't like to stick together but will stick to different ends of soap molecules.


What happens to soap and pepper in water?

ONLY PARTIALLY CORRECT: because of the surfice tension, the pepper is floating and when soap is applied the soap spreads rappidly so the soap accually pushes the pepper to the side---------------------------------This can't be the answer because it works the same whether you use liquid soap or powder -- which isn't "spreading rapidly". I used a single grain of Tide Laundry Detergent and saw the same effect but on a smaller scale. I dropped it in, and the grain was still visible while the pepper moved away.It's surface tension, yes, but NOT "soap spreads rapidly" and NOT "pushes pepper to the side"". The surface tension is broken because of the form and function of the soap molecules in relation to the water molecules. The pepper remains floating where the surface tension remains strong.This is because the soap breaks the surface tension of the water and the tension on the rest of the water pulls the floating pepper away from the soap.Water molecules are very sticky. They have a strong attraction to other water molecules. In the center of a glass of water, the molecules are sticking to other water molecules in all directions.The water molecules beside your finger suddenly stick to the soap molecules instead of each other. The other water molecules on the surface are still pulling and the water at the edges is still pulling, but the water in the center is not pulling back. The surface molecules and the pepper sat on the surface are all pulled quickly to the sides.because of the tensionThe actual science happens because the soap breaks the surface tension of the water, like popping a balloon. It is the water that moves, not the pepper that is floating on it.The actual science happens because the soap breaks the surface tension of the water , like popping a ballon . It is the water that moves , not the the pepper that is floating on it .Water molecules are very sticky. They have a strong attraction to other water molecules. In the center of a glass of water, the molecules are sticking to other water molecules in all directions.The water molecules beside your finger suddenly stick to the soap molecules instead of each other. The other water molecules on the surface are still pulling and the water at the edges is still pulling, but the water in the center is not pulling back. The surface molecules and the pepper sat on the surface are all pulled quickly to the sides.Because the detergent reduces the cohesiveness of the pepper and the pepper along the sides pulls the pepper towards the sidesThis is my theory:Like many detergents, soap pulls apart molecules. That is the whole point, to loosen dirt. So soap separates the pepper and the water. Detergents break up the water's surface tension, making the pepper separate.


Why does soap stick to water?

Soap molecules are opposing. While one end tends to stick to water, the opposite end repels it. Suds are caused by this action. Soap molecules surround water molecules, and the parts of the molecules that repel the water point in a direction away from the water.


How does soap mix with octane?

When soap is mixed with octane the non-polar ends of the soap molecules are attracted with induced-dipole induced-dipole attractions to the non-polar octane molecules. The octane molecules repel the polar ends of the soap and the soap molecules form inverted soap bubbles that attract polar molecules like water.


Why does soap reduce the surface tension of water?

Soap will lower the surface tension of water. Like any surfactant soap will lower the surface energy by disrupting the strong inter-molecular hydrogen bonding that confers such a strong surface tension to water.


How does soap removes the germs?

The molecules in the soap attach the dirt and the water causing it to come of


Why cant water get grease out but soap can?

The molecules of a soap can surround oil molecules and bind to them, releasing their hold on materials and surfaces. The slippery soap does not attach to other molecules, and can be washed away.Grease itself is oil bound to a complex soap, that does not let it easily flow away from the lubricated surface.


Why does dawn dish soap repel pepper?

Soap breaks the surface tension of water. Pepper will only float where there is strong surface tension.


Is soap the only substance that can break the waters surface tension?

detergents and water striders can also do that.